The Joy of Giving!

By Kirthi JayakumarI have a huge problem with holidays: be it Diwali or Christmas. Why? Well, the emphasis on materialism really takes the wind out of the sails in the simple joy of giving a person something with love. Children look forward to getting the latest toys on the block, and grown-ups are crazy about their gadgets, jewellery and whatnot – that the focus remains so badly attached to the “gift” itself, but without any importance attached to the “gifting” itself.

Think about it. Would you like it if I was your sister and I gave you a handmade scarf? Or would you like it if I was your best friend and gave you a set of bookmarks I made by myself?

If you would, then well and good. You’re on the right page. But if you won’t, that’s not exactly the best way to be. Gifting is all about the love behind it – it’s not about how big or how small your gift is, but about the love behind it. So keep that in mind when you look through these gifting ideas this Christmas!

Make a Christmas Charm: The most beautiful of all gifts is a charm that one can use for their Christmas tree, and later on as a little add-on to their bags/wallets/phones. Design your own little charm – maybe an origami angel, or a little bauble made out of recycled soft-drink cans, or even a snowflake cut out of paper but laminated suitably so it doesn’t bend or tear.

Recycled books: There’s no better a time to read than in the holidays. Books are great gifts to a reader, and will be valued doubly if they are old and yellowed. A good gifting idea would be to gift a book of your own with a special message, telling the person that you’re giving it to them for a particular reason. There’s truly nothing more special than that!

Food! Did you know that people can remember you by the food you give them? Give someone a delicious cookie – even if they don’t remember your name, they’ll definitely remember you as the-delicious-cookie-lady. If you’re good at cooking, remember, there’s truly nothing nicer than a nice warm bundle of cookies wrapped with care, or a batch of cupcakes crafted to immaculate perfection. Devoured within seconds, of course, but the effort and the love you put into it? Priceless.

Handmade cards: This one’s a ubiquitous no-brainer! It doesn’t take much to make your own cards – and the loveliest part is that you can handwrite your own message. These can be preserved for posterity, and always make for a good story when you walk down the memory lane.

What are you planning to gift this year? Let us know in the comments below!Image Sources: Image1: http://www.rings-things.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/holiday-ornaments.jpgImage 2: http://foodswallpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/bhg-gingerbrread-cookies.jpgImage 3: http://www.crafty-fox.co.uk/img/corporate-greeting-cards.jpg